If you saw Comet Halley when the comet was 0.8 AU from Earth and you observed a visible tail 4 degrees long, how long was the tail in kilometers? (Hint: Use the small-angle formula.) (Note: 1 AU = 1.5 ✕ 109 km.) Suppose that the tail was not perpendicular to your line of sight. Is your first answer too large or too small?

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If you saw Comet Halley when the comet was 0.8 AU from Earth and you observed a visible tail 4 degrees long, how long was the tail in kilometers? (Hint: Use the small-angle formula.) (Note: 1 AU = 1.5 ✕ 109 km.)

Suppose that the tail was not perpendicular to your line of sight. Is your first answer too large or too small?

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